To follow up with my previous post, I am really pleased to be able to share with you this really insightful article. It takes a little bit of concentration to understand but it really worth it so as to picture out the way the top line functions - freely and less freely - the biomecanic of working low and round, in its different conceptions, rollkur and classical.
I am thankful to its author, Peteris Klavins who also works with my trainer, Isa Danne and who is an uncredibly devoted biomecanician.
Within the framework of the debates concerning certain Methods of Training at least disputed and of that one of the necessary clarification in the mind of the Lightness promoted by Allege-Ideal, it seemed to me useful to gather and to present some schematizations allowing to specify certain « equestrian terminologies » in regard to anatomical references clearly differenciated, as to illustrate in a practical way some functional comments relative to certain practices of gymnastical work of the horse.Indeed, and quite particularly as regards to the work said Low and Round, it seems that it reigns since a good many of years a big «VAGUENESS» as for the meaning attributed to it by such or such user of this terminology, this vagueness allowing maybe to some to connect in a discretely undue way some personal practices to certain «justifications biomechanicaly demonstrated» relative to a work of the horse «really low and round in its whole» and not only «round» at the level of its neck...
For my part, while a great number of riders associate by custom the concept of «LOW WORK» to exercises of the horse in overbending on an extension of the Cervico-Thoracic Hinge as illustrated by the schema #6 of the following series of drawings there below, it would seem to me more adequate and more logical to reserve the use of this functional terminology of «LOW WORK» only to the exercises in lowering of the neck, the horse presenting an objective flexion of its Cervico-thoracic Hinge as illustrated on schemas #1, #3 and #5 of the same series. ( In practice, to give ourself a convenient reference, it is simple to observe if the location of the cervical joints C2-C3 is situated above or below the withers...)
Click here to read the full report I did for the Association Allège-Idéal.
That was really an amazing week-end, with a lot of great people, including of course the three dressage masters, who did not hesitate to take strong positions : "ban the drawing reins" (Heuschmann), "you don't need side-reins", "terrible influence of dressage divas who are more interested by medals than by classicism" (Carde), "it's very sad to see the 3/4 years old on the auctions catalogs pictures, they are already put to piaffe and look like 8 years old" (Balkenhol)... And so on ! Please read the report, it really worth it, as it is very unfrequent to hear such things in a big public event.
Balkenhol, Carde and Heuschmann are very precious people !
RSS Feed